Communities trapping wildlife - with cameras!

07/09/2018
Masahiro Ando

Elephant caught on camera in Liwiti village forest reserve

Bushbuck caught on camera in Ngea village forest reserve

Baboons caught on camera in Liwiti village forest reserve

Africa is renowned for its abundant wildlife, and Tanzania is among the most bio-diverse countries in the continent. It contains Africa's largest number of mammals (364 species), second largest number of plants (10,000 species), third largest number of birds (1,035 species) and fourth largest number of reptiles and amphibians (368 species). One in ten of these animals and plants are found nowhere else in the world and 80% rely on forests for their survival.

At MCDI, we know from our work on the ground how valuable well-managed community forests are as havens for this wildlife. In order to demonstrate this to the rest of the world, we and our partner, United States Forest Service, helped communities to set up five camera traps in their village forest reserves. Here are just some of the photos we captured last year. Stay tuned for more!

Find out other ways we are supporting communities to use technology to better manage their forests here.